A 33-year-old gastroenterologist from New York City appeared in a Queens court on August 7th, 2023. He is facing 50 counts of drugging and sexually assaulting women, even within the hospital where he worked.
The accused, Zhi Alan Cheng, is alleged to have recorded these acts on his phone.
His actions came to light when an ex-girlfriend accused him of rape in December, revealing videos of herself and other women being attacked on his phone.
The ex-girlfriend claimed Cheng used a K-N95 mask filled with liquid-soaked cotton balls to incapacitate her.
Following this accusation, police launched an investigation, leading to Cheng's arrest and subsequent firing from his job at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens hospital.
Prosecutors have stated that Cheng attacked multiple women aged 19 to 47 at his Astoria home, the hospital, and in locations spanning New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Thailand.
Although six women are seen in the videos, prosecutors suspect more victims may exist.
Melinda Katz, the Queen's district attorney, urged anyone with information on potential victims to come forward, labeling him a "serial rapist" and a "sexual predator of the absolute worst kind."
After the December 2022 incident, police searched Cheng's home, finding drugs like fentanyl, ketamine, LSD, and various surgical anesthetics.
The assaults are believed to have started in 2021.
One incident involves Cheng filming himself, inappropriately touching a 37-year-old patient at Queens Hospital in 2021.
He is also accused of raping a woman he met on a dating app and recording the attack.
In another instance, he allegedly raped a 19-year-old girl who visited the hospital a day before her gall bladder removal surgery.
The victim reported being unexpectedly injected with a substance that caused her to fall asleep.
When she woke up, she found Cheng no longer in the room and experienced severe lower abdomen pain.
Although she told hospital authorities, she did not initially accuse him of rape.
However, medical staff took the allegations seriously, conducting investigations and staging a line-up where she identified Cheng.
Cheng's attorney, Jeffrey Einhorn, stated it was "too early" to comment on the case. Cheng pleaded not guilty and is currently held on Rikers Island.
The hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian, expressed shock and sadness at the alleged behavior, emphasizing their cooperation with authorities since becoming aware of the allegations in December 2022.
In another news, a man has been jailed for raping a 16-year-old girl which led to the girls death. See shocking details here
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